Publicist Rockstars: Emily Scoular of Illumination PR On The Five Things You Need To Have A Highly Successful Career in The PR Industry

Experience is key — Take advantage of any and every opportunity that comes your way, especially in the beginning. Volunteer for a variety of tasks. Never say no to an opportunity to learn and be open to trying something new every single day. You’ll gain experience and find your niche.

As a part of my series about the things you need to know to excel in the modern PR industry, I had the pleasure of interviewing Emily Scoular of Illumination PR. With over 7 years in the public relations industry, Emily Scoular has garnered thousands of top tier media placements in print, online and on broadcast, has spearheaded dozens of lucrative sponsorship campaigns, and has secured some of the top names in beauty, fashion and wellness as clients for Illumination PR.

Thank you so much for your time! I know that you are a very busy person. Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

I knew from a young age that I wanted to get into a career where I could help others shine from behind the scenes. My senior year of high school, a family friend had mentioned to me that I would be great in public relations. After doing my research, I knew this was a career I could really thrive in, and committed to it as my major after being accepted into college. Throughout my four years at school, I watched friends and peers continuously change their majors — unsure of where they would want to end up. I felt so grateful that I was passionate about this field from day one, and I never questioned my ability to make this a career.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began at your company?

So many interesting things have happened in my seven years at IPR. My most memorable story was when my boss, Robyn Bordes (CEO of Illumination PR), told me a month into working fulltime that we were hopping on a plane to LA and flying back to NYC that night for an event. I had never been to LA nor had I ever worked on a celebrity event, and she threw me right in. I learned more from that less than 24-hour experience than I did in any of my PR/event-based classes in college.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

Early on, I was helping to manage a celebrity housewarming party. I had to wear many hats that night, and at one point, the person handling coat check was nowhere to be found. I took over, and the first person who walked in was a girl about my age. I asked her if she wanted to check her coat. She shot me a look and said “I’ll just put it on my bed, thanks” and rolled her eyes. It was the celebrity’s daughter and I was so embarrassed! I learned that doing your research on exactly who you’re working with is incredibly important.

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?

There are always exciting projects going on at IPR! Right now, I’m focusing on adding clients to our roster who are a perfect fit for our company and the media we work with. One of my favorite parts about IPR is that we truly only bring on clients we are passionate about. Some companies will bring on anyone and everyone, but if a client and agency don’t mesh well, there’s no benefit to either of them.

What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why.

1) Networking is crucial

- Networking is a major part of being successful in this industry. Whether it’s gaining editors’ trust to work with you on a consistent basis, or connecting with publicists who represent brands that would be a perfect fit for the clients you represent, communicating with others in this field is a big key to success.

2) You can ALWAYS learn

- I am only seven years in and still learning about this field each and every day. There are always opportunities that arise that I haven’t come across yet. That’s the beauty of this business — no day is the same. Learning from someone with incredible experience who encourages growth is essential — Robyn Bordes, my boss and the CEO of Illumination PR, is the epitome of what it means to be a mentor and leader. She continues to give me the tools that are essential in order for me to succeed and grow. I am grateful for her taking me under her wing each and every day.

3) There is no such thing as 9–5

- Public relations is a ‘round the clock job. You need to prepare to be available for your clients after typical work hours and on weekends. You could have an incredible press opportunity come in at 11pm that needs to be done by 8am, or a client who needs immediate assistance on a weekend.

4) Experience is key

- Take advantage of any and every opportunity that comes your way, especially in the beginning. Volunteer for a variety of tasks. Never say no to an opportunity to learn and be open to trying something new every single day. You’ll gain experience and find your niche.

5) There are no guarantees

- You could be working with an editor on a story for months, and they could choose not to include your client at the last minute. Until a story or segment is live, nothing is guaranteed.

Lead generation is one of the most important aspects of any business. Can you share some of the strategies you use to generate good, qualified leads?

Do your research. So many in this field blindly reach out to media, hoping that they strike gold without putting much thought into who they’re connecting with. Look up editors’ most recent articles and let them know why your client should be on their radar.

Is there a particular book that you read, or podcast you listened to that really helped you in your career? Can you explain?

The Morning Toast has helped me keep up to date with what’s new and now in pop culture. The hosts and their listeners are so in the know when it comes to celebrities and the entertainment industry. I am always the first to know what’s going on in the entertainment world, and I utilize that information for my pitching efforts. I also love Marianna Hewitt’s podcast. She used to be in PR and often talks about her skills and what she learned from those days. She has great business advice!

If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

If I could inspire a movement to bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, it would be to help stop the over glamorization of exhaustion. Every day, I see influencers raving about how exhausted they are, how little time they have in the day, and alluding to their followers that it’s the only way to be successful. I am a big advocate for mental health, and if you’re burning yourself out, you won’t be able to fully succeed no matter what career you’re in. Even if it’s just 10 minutes before bed, take time for yourself to clear your head and ground yourself.

Thank you so much for this. This was very inspiring!